


As the Moon Rises

by Inyri



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Established Hollstein, Eventual LaFerry, F/F, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-06-01 19:03:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6532483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inyri/pseuds/Inyri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Werewolf Perry AU, LaFontaine POV, cute and angsty science ensues! (Established Hollstein, Eventual LaFerry, NY setting)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CourageousGryffindor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourageousGryffindor/gifts).



> Hello! This is my first Carmilla fic ever! I'm very excited to join the fandom with my writing. 
> 
> I'm a huge sucker for LaFerry, so there's going to be lots of fluff and angst with those two. Laura and Carmilla will be their cute selves in the background. 
> 
> What you need to know: Laf POV, NY setting, non-magical AU (except Perry, who's a werewolf)

The first time it happened, I thought I’d suffer a myocardial infarction (or, as Perry would force me to explain, a heart-attack), even though I knew the probability of succumbing to one at my age was extremely slim. I was too upset to conjure the exact percentage, but I knew it was low. It’s kind of hard to think straight when your best friend is convulsing on your living room carpet.

“Perr! Perr! Talk to me!” I insisted, grasping her upper arm and shaking it. She continued to convulse, nonresponsive to my plea.  

“What’s happening to her?” my roommate, Laura, squeaked.

“I don’t know,” I admitted reluctantly. “She called me up complaining of strange body aches, so I told her to come over. She was explaining to me and pacing around the room when she suddenly fell to the ground and this started.”

“What do we do?!?” Laura asked, her hands drawn up to her mouth in worry. She started to spit out suggestions, her words swirling like a tornado in my brain: “Do we call 911? An ambulance? Is there a doctor that lives in this building?”

“I’m not sure.”

“I’m calling 911,” Laura said, her phone already lifted to her ear.

“No!” I shouted and Laura froze. “Just wait one minute.” The thought of Perry, held for testing and probing indefinitely, stopped my heart. I had to try and fix this first. I searched my brain for all my first aid training.

“Okay,” I said to Laura, “time the seizure. I’ll move everything out of her way.”

“Right,” Laura responded and looked at her watch.

I couldn’t pull my gaze from Perry’s seizing body, her thin limbs lifting and falling with each wave. Her eyes had long ago rolled back in her head and all my first-aid knowledge flew out of my head. All I could think about, all I could focus on, was the fact that something unknown and _very bad_ was happening to Perry and I had no idea what to do.

I tried to think back over the past few days for clues. Had she complained of any other strange symptoms? Had she eaten something different, gone somewhere new? Had someone slipped her something? Did her family have a history of strange diseases?

Laura’s voice as she ticked off the time was white noise to the racket in my head. I was immensely glad that she was home, even if she did add to the general panic level in the room.

“I really think we should call 911,” she said.

That’s when things got even weirder.

Perry stopped her convulsing, much to my relief, but then her fingernails grew about six inches in the space of two seconds.

“What the hell?” I said, picking up one of her hands and examining the nails closely.

“What’s going on?” Laura asked. I pointed at Perry’s strangely long nails with my free hand and Laura’s eyes grew wide in that way they always did when she was shocked.

“So weird!” she commented. “I’m gonna call Carm. Maybe she’ll know what to do. She deals with strange stuff all the time.”

Laura’s girlfriend worked in a morgue. She had definitely seen her fill of weird.

“I’m just glad she’s stopped shaking,” I said.

“Me, too,” Laura said. “She’ll be okay.” She laid a friendly hand on my shoulder. Her presence did calm me, even if it was the tiniest bit of difference. Fear coursed through me like an angry river. Suddenly, I had an idea.

“Well, the least we can do is cover up the weird so Perry doesn’t completely freak out when she comes to,” I said. “Quick, grab me those scissors you use to cut Carmilla’s toenails.”

“If you insist,” Laura said and disappeared into her bedroom, her phone still pressed to her ear. I took the moment to cradle Perry’s still face with a hand.

“Come on, Perr,” I whispered. “Wake up and show me you’re okay.” She didn’t respond.

“Here you go,” Laura said, handing me the industrial-strength nail scissors. “Just don’t break them, okay?”

“Sheesh, Laura,” I replied, starting to cut Perry’s long nails as quickly as I could manage.

“Yeah, Carm, it’s me,” Laura started. But I didn’t hear the rest of the conversation because that’s when Perry sat up, taking in a huge gulp of air.

“Perr!” I yelped. “You’re awake.”

“What?” she asked groggily, pressing a hand to her head. I helped her sit up, moving in close to look into her eyes.

“Are you okay?” I asked. “Do you feel alright?” I pressed a hand to her forehead to get her temperature, but she batted it away.

“I’m fine,” she insisted, fixing her wild, fiery hair. But that gesture caused her pause and she looked down at her overly-long fingernails. “What’s happening to me?!?” she squealed, all semblance of calm gone.

“It’s okay,” I said, rubbing her upper arms in an attempt to calm her. I felt rough skin under my fingers and thought that I needed to check on that. “You’re okay. We’ll figure this out.”

“Figure _what_ out?” Perry demanded. “What is going on!”

Laura rushed over to our side, snapping her phone closed.

“Carm is on her way,” she announced. I turned Perry’s arm to look at the skin there. It was horribly rug-burned. I tried to remember what sort of lotion I had in my room.  

“A lot of good she’ll do!” Perry said, grimacing at her usual fingernails. “I’m turning into a freak!”

“Perr, you’re gonna be fine,” I said, even though I wasn’t sure of the fact. “I’ll run some tests and—“

“You will do no such thing,” Perry interrupted, her expression stern. Any other time, the way her eyebrows drew together and her lips pouted out would have been adorable, but right now I was too scared to appreciate it. Perry continued her tirade: “I will _not_ have you putting me under your microscopes and experimenting on me like one of your science projects!”

“You’re not a science project,” I insisted. “I’m just worried about you, Perr.”

“If you’re so worried, why didn’t you call 911?” she asked, her anger cranking up alongside her panic. “That’s what any sensible person would do.”

“What if they take you away?” I answered, even though I knew I was being paranoid.

“But you’re not a real doctor,” Perry pointed out. “You don’t even have your masters yet!”

“It’ll be fine,” I assured her. “You’ll be fine. This was probably just a freak occurrence.” I regretted the words the moment they left my mouth. Stupid, stupid, stupid—

“Freak, exactly!” Perry said, glomming onto my word choice. “That’s what I am now, a freak!”

“Perry, try to calm down,” Laura said. “Do you want some tea? Or maybe some snacks? I think I have some cookies in the cabinet.”

“Or how about some raw meat,” Perry suggested, “since I’m obviously turning into a wild animal.”

“Perr, don’t be ridiculous,” I said.

“Oh, _I’m_ being ridiculous,” she retorted. She stood suddenly, taking a moment to brush off her flowery blouse and high-waisted jeans. Her nails caught in the fabric of her shirt and she let out a defeated sigh.

“Here, let’s sit down and I’ll help you with those,” I said gently, trying to nudge her toward our futon. Surprisingly, she conceded. It seemed like she’d lost some of her steam and now was sliding into sadness.

She sat down on the futon and I grabbed the scissors. I slowly and carefully began to cut her nails back as Laura pulled up a chair. I could feel Perry’s hands shaking under my touch.

“Why don’t you tell us how this all started?” Laura asked kindly. “Maybe we can figure something out.” I silently thanked Laura, full of gratitude for the smart and thoughtful girl I got to call my friend.

“Well, I think it all started last week,” she said, “when that snotty Brody ran off into the woods behind the center.” Perry was the head coordinator at the Boys & Girls club in town, aided by her degree in social work. She’d really turned the place around, but there were always a few trouble makers. We’d heard plenty of stories already about the infamous Brody. Perry continued her story, “So naturally I had to run after him, since all the other workers were busy. I finally found him, of course, but that night I found this really strange scratch on my leg. I assumed I’d just caught it on a branch or something. It was gone the next day, so I didn’t think about it. And then today the body aches started. That’s why I called.”

“Can you think of anything else strange that’s happened this week?” I asked, trimming down the last nail. “Maybe something you didn’t think was related?”

“On second thought, I did have that huge headache for the next few days,” Perry added. “I thought it was just the weather affecting my sinuses.”

“Maybe you just caught a bug,” Laura suggested.

“A bug that makes your nails grow? From what I know, that’s not how viruses work,” I pointed out. Perry tensed beside me and I suddenly wished I hadn’t brought it up.

“You’re right,” Laura said. I put down the scissors and Perry examined her newly-cut nails. I took a moment to think over the situation, trying to connect the dots and decide on a course of action.

“Maybe we need a flow-chart…” I started. Laura stood up and bolted into the kitchen, tossing something over her shoulder about making hot chocolate.

“Maybe it was just a fluke!” Perry interjected, unduly cheery. “Maybe it just happened this once and I’ll be completely normal for the rest of my life. These things do happen you know.” I felt my heart sink at the desperate hope in her voice.

“Ah, Perr, I don’t know…”

“Let’s just look this up on the internet,” Perry said. “That should be able to shed some light on things.”

“Hey,” I said, looking her right in the eye, “why don’t we just calm down for a minute, take a breather? You did just have something akin to a seizure. Maybe let me do the internet research.”

“Very well,” she said, tucking her arms across her chest as though it was all an inconvenience. I watched her for a moment, cycling through some ideas in my brain. I took out my phone and pretended to look something up. Really, I was just thinking of the best way to ask her for some blood samples. Surely, that was the place to start.

Then Perry screamed.

I looked up from my phone and Laura raced in from the kitchen.

“What is it?” I asked automatically.

“OH MY GOD!!” Perry screeched, putting her hands out in front of her. Immediately I saw the tiny grey hairs running down her fingers and creeping up her arms.  

“That’s not good,” I deadpanned.

Perry looked at me, her eyes impossibly wide, and all I wanted to do was pull her close and never let her go. But I knew she’d only push me away, that she needed her space, so I resisted the urge.

Without preamble, I stood and stuffed my phone back in my pocket.

“That’s it,” I said, “we’re going to the lab.”

Perry didn’t even protest. She just stared at me and nodded very slowly.

“You two go,” Laura said, easily shifting into action mode. “I’ll wait here for Carmilla and then meet you there.”

I nodded my affirmative and went into my room for my car keys. I tried not to think of anything else but getting to the lab. The blood results would help. The microscopes would save us. They just had to.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to those who are already reading this! Please feel free to comment :)

The lab _was_ a good idea. I just didn’t plan for how difficult it would be to actually make it there.

My energy-efficient sedan hummed along the upstate NY country road, following the curves and dips with a learned familiarity. Perry sat beside me in the passenger seat, clutching the seat belt as though holding onto it would boost its safety abilities.

“Gosh, Lafontaine!” she half-yelped as I took a particular turn a bit fast. “We’ll never get there if we’re _dead_.” Perry hated riding in cars and she liked them even less when I was nearly speeding, which I was at the moment. I kept nudging just over the limit, not wanting to completely let go and panic Perry to the point of being inconsolable.

“I’m a good driver,” I reminded her. “I used to get paid for it.”

“Driving a school van for work study hours hardly counts as ‘getting paid for it,’” Perry argued, her gaze glued to the road ahead of us.

“Still,” I insisted, “I’ve been driving since I was 16. We’re fine.”

I peeked out of the corner of my eye to catch a glimpse of her. Her entire body was tense, her fingers white on the seat belt, and I thought I saw a vein bulging on her forehead. She was obviously not convinced by my evidence.

“We’re almost there,” I said again, reaching a hand across to pat her comfortingly on the knee. Her leg felt strange under her jeans.

“Uh, Perr,” I started, not sure how to phrase my question. “Do your legs feel okay?”

“Yes, why?”

“Dunno. Just feels…different.”

There was a silence and then the shuffling of fabric against fabric. Out of my periphery, I could just make out Perry moving a bit in her seat and bending over.

“Oh my God!” she shouted and her high-pitched voice reverberated painfully in the small space of the car.

“Woah, what’s up?” I looked away from the road for a split second to see that Perry had rolled up her one pant leg to find her calf covered in grey fur.

“Holy sh—“

“Watch the road!” Perry demanded angrily. I looked back just in time to swerve and miss sideswiping an oncoming car on the narrow road.

My heart raced at the near-hit and we both remained silent for a few minutes. My pace finally calmed a bit and I took a deep breath in. An almost accident was the last thing either of us needed at the moment.

I was shocked when Perry didn’t start ranting about how I need to pay better attention when I’m driving and how I could have gotten us both killed. The silence irked me and I realized that Perry was more scared than she’d ever been before.

The pieces started to click together. Logically, the first idea that popped to mind was “werewolf.” But I didn’t want Perry to know I suspected.

“I’m sorry,” I said. When she didn’t say anything, I added, “Look, I’m really sorry. I’m on edge, okay? I just don’t know what’s going on with you and all I want is some answers.” I took a breath, finally spilling the words that I’d been saving for an emergency: “I’m just really worried about you.”

I let the sentiment sit between us. When Perry didn’t answer after a few long minutes, I queried, “Perr?”

“I know,” she said, her voice soft for the first time she’d we’d started driving. “I’m just scared.”

“I know,” I echoed. “I’m scared, too.” I tried to sound less afraid than I actually felt, for both my sake and Perry’s.

Then I heard a kind of scratching sound and I resisted the urge to look in Perry’s direction.

“What are you doing?” I asked instead.

“Trying to get this awful hair off me,” she answered.

“Don’t do that,” I said. “Just wait until we get to the lab.”

“How would you like to have a carpet attached to your extremities?” she bit back. “Who knows – I might be a full-on monster by the time we get to the lab!”

“You’re not a monster,” I said. I tried to play it all off for her sanity’s sake. “You’re just having a weird reaction to something—“

“Weird is _quite_ the understatement!” Perry nearly shouted back. I felt an ache, dull and persistent, starting behind my eyes.

“Perr, please try to calm down. We’re almost there. And stress is no good for anyone.”

Somehow, that kept her quiet for a little while. The only sound over the engine was an occasional scratching.

“We’re almost there,” I told her. “You doing okay?”

When she didn’t answer, I looked over. She was staring out the window, obviously lost in thought. I turned back to the road.

“We’ll figure it out,” I said. “I know it seems—“

Perry cut me off with a scream and my attention snapped in her direction by reflex. She held her hands up in front of her face, except they weren’t her hands anymore; dog paws stuck out from within her blouse sleeves.

The car swerved slightly with my shock, but I quickly got it back under control. I could hear Perry hyperventilating beside me.

“Stop the car!” she managed between fast breaths.

“We’re almost to the lab,” I insisted. “We’re close. Just hang in there.”

“Not close enough,” Perry moaned. “Now my—“

Her voice cut off abruptly, replaced with the sound of hurried scratching and some ripping. I slowed down and pulled over, glancing over to see a full-grown wolf in Perry’s clothes. It fought against the seat belt, its claws cutting lines in my seat fabric.

“Shit!” I yelled, swiftly throwing the car into park and popping off my seat belt. I leaned over to unlock Perry’s, but the wolf thrashed wildly, making it difficult. Its claws caught on everything: the dashboard, the car door, the seat, and even my arm.

Finally, I got the seat belt undone and I leaned over the animal –no, over _Perry_ —and opened the passenger door.

The wolf pushed out of the car immediately, bounding off into the woods that ran along the road. I jumped out of the car, too, recklessly chasing Perry into the trees. One thought, a mantra, cycled through my head: _I have to save her._

Clothes dropped off the wolf as it ran until only part of Perry’s remained, a floral sash across the wild animal’s chest.

“Perry!” I yelled after her. “Come back! Perry!”

But the wolf ran even faster, seeking the safety of the forest. I tried to keep up, but I was quickly left behind. I cursed my genes for my lack of athletic ability and I berated my past self for skipping the gym so often.

Too soon, the wolf disappeared from sight and I was left alone in the woods, worrying terribly for my best friend. A feeling of uselessness settled like an anvil on my chest and I felt tears start at the corners of my eyes.

I fished my phone out of my pocket to call Laura, but I quickly found that I had no reception. So I stuffed my phone back in my pocket and started back toward my car.

I tried to reason through what had just happened. Perry, my best friend who I’d know for as long as I could remember and who had been perfectly normal –well, at least human—for all of that time, was suddenly…what? A wolf? A shapeshifter? A werewolf? It didn’t make any sense. I had to do more research.

But how could I do research when she was out in the woods, lost, alone, and probably frightened half to death. How would she find her way back? How could I find her? I had no idea where to begin.

 I walked as quickly as I could, checking my phone every so often for a signal. Once I finally had service, I dialed Laura. She picked up on the second ring.

“Laf?”

“Hey, Laura. Something really weird just happened. I don’t know what to do.”

“What happened? Wait, Carm is here. Let me put you on speaker. One second.” There was a fumbling sound on the other side of the line and then, “Okay, go ahead.”

“So,” I started, dreading explaining what had happened, “I was driving to the lab and then Perry’s symptoms got worse and I had to pull over because she turned into a wolf.”

“What?!” Laura shouted.

“That _is_ weird,” Carmilla said in her usual, flat way.

“What did you do?” Laura asked, her words growing increasingly faster.

“I let her out of the car because she was destroying everything and was obviously in distress. But then she ran into the woods and I lost her.”

“You lost her!?” Laura echoed.

“Fantastic,” Carmilla added. “Now we have a high-strung wolf-girl on the loose. Good job.”

“Hey, what was I supposed to do?” I asked, my tone defensive. “I had a wild animal in my car!”

“That _can’t_ be a first for you,” Carmilla commented.

“Go easy on them, Carm,” Laura said. “They’ve just been through a traumatic event.” Then, to me I suppose, she asked, “So what’s the plan now?”

“I was kinda hoping you had one,” I answered sheepishly.

“We’ll figure something out,” Laura assured me. “We just have to regroup. We’ll get Perry back.”

“I know,” I said, but I knew I didn’t sound confident.

“We will!” Laura insisted. “Why don’t you continue to the lab and we’ll meet you there.”

“Okay,” I said, still not convinced. “Thanks.”

“See you in a few!” Laura said. Then the call ended.

I let out a long breath. I’d finally made it back to my car. I leaned back against the trusty sedan, trying to calm the thunderstorm that had taken up residence in my brain.

After a few minutes of deep breathing, I felt ready to get back in the car.

I couldn’t stop myself from looking over at the passenger seat. The door and dashboard had claw marks crossing them at random angles and the seat was torn, a long strip hanging pathetically from just below the headrest.

I couldn’t even be upset about my car because Perry was out there in the woods, all alone and trapped in a strange body. Would she survive as a wolf? Would she change back into a human and be left completely defenseless? How would she find her way back?

I made a snap decision. I pulled out my phone and dialed. When they picked up, my heart fell into my feet, but I said the words anyway:

“Yes, I’d like to report a missing person.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Perry make her way back to Laf and the gang? Will she remain a wolf forever? Will Laf crack the code and figure out what's going on? Find out (some of these things) in the next chapter! Stay tuned. :)


	3. Chapter 3

We waited 12 horrifying hours for any news about Perry. I didn’t sleep, didn’t eat, and even turned down hot chocolate. Laura and Carmilla kept me company through the night, Laura trying to get me to play games and Carmilla crashing on our futon. The hours ticked on and I grew more and more anxious.

Then, like an alarm from the heavens, my phone rang. I didn’t know the number, but I picked it up anyway.

“Hello?”

“Laf?”

Perry’s voice made my heart leapt right into my throat. I started to cry and I didn’t even care.

“Perr! You’re okay! Where are you? What happened? Whose phone are you on?”

“It’s a long story.” Her voice sounded fragile, on the brink of fracturing. “Can you come get me?”

“Yes, yes, of course!” I answered. “What’s the address? I’ll be right there.”

I hastily wrote down the address, my hand shaking with worry and excitement. I assured Perry that I’d be there as soon as I could. Naturally, she told me to be careful, but I sped the entire way to get her. She had ended up at a gas station about a dozen miles from where she’d ran into the woods in the first place.

The gas station had one light on in the mini-mart. Honestly, I was shocked it was open at all. Everything always seemed to close early in upstate NY.

I pulled up to find an older man and Perry waiting just inside the door. She wore an oversized t-shirt and a pair of what looked like boy’s jeans. Her hair was a complete disaster. Perry waved gratefully at the man and jumped out of the shop, rushing toward my car. I got out of the car as fast as I could, meeting Perry halfway and pulling her into a tight hug.

“Oh my God, you’re okay,” I said into her curly mess of hair. She smelled of dirt and grass and wet dog. Even so, I held her close, my arms wrapped around her middle, and, surprisingly, she let me. She didn’t push me away or make some snarky remark. She lingered in my embrace and even smiled at me when we separated.

She got into the passenger seat and I silently cursed myself for not covering up the signs of her destruction. I got into the driver’s seat, starting up the car and pulling out of the gas station.

“Did I really do all this?” she asked, her voice small as her fingers followed a jagged line on the dashboard in front of her.

“It’s not your fault,” I answered. “I’m just glad you’re back and human and okay. What happened, anyway? And whose clothes are those?”

“Ah, yes, I had to do something rather unfortunate,” Perry said. “I had to steal these off a clothesline because when I came to, I was human but I was naked. Thank goodness these country folk still hang their laundry on clotheslines. Although, I do feel badly about taking some poor boy’s clothes.”

“He’ll be fine, I’m sure,” I told her. “I’m just glad you didn’t have to go into town naked. They probably would have called the police on you, thinking you were insane or something.”

“Which, at this point, I’m not so sure that I’m not!” Perry added.

“You’re not insane, Perr,” I said softly. I reached a hand across the seat to her and she took it. “We’ll figure this out,” I promised.

“Are you going to take me to the lab?” she asked. Her voice sounded so scared.

“No,” I answered. “I want to, but I think it would be best for you to get some rest first. We can work on this in the morning.”

“If I’m human in the morning.”

“Don’t talk like that,” I said, trying to sound gentle despite the frustration building in my chest.

She remained silent for a few minutes, the sound of the road rushing beneath the car the only sound between us. Then, she ventured, “Laf?” She sounded so tentative.

“Yes?”

“Can I stay at your place? With you? I don’t want to go home and be by myself.”

“Of course,” I answered. I’d considered asking her to stay anyway. Now that I’d gotten her back, the thought of having her out of my sight was unbearable.  

“Laura and Carmilla have probably just gone to sleep,” I added, trying to normalize the situation a bit, “if they’re asleep at all. Knowing Laura, she’s waiting up for me to get back. Either way, you can have the futon or you can take my bed and I’ll sleep on the futon.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Perry nod. Her quietness made sense, but it still unsettled me.

“It’ll be alright,” I said again. Another nod from Perry and that was all. I let the prospect of conversation go, leaving us in silence until we’d stepped into my apartment.

“Oh my God, you’re okay!” Laura shouted the moment Perry and I were through the door. The pajama-clad blonde launched herself at Perry, who wordlessly allowed the contact. Laura stepped back after a moment and Carmilla emerged from Laura’s room to see what was going on. “What happened?” Laura asked next.

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” Perry said, dropping her gaze to the floor and rushing into my room. Laura watched her go, her concern all too evident on her face, and Carmilla just shook her head.

“She’s basically the worst person anyone could choose to make into a werewolf,” the brunette commented flatly. I had to agree.

“Carm, don’t say that,” Laura said. “Perry will be okay with time. It’s just a huge adjustment.”

“You can say that again,” Carmilla said. Laura shot her a look and I let out the sigh of exhaustion that I’d been holding in for some time.

“Thanks for waiting up,” I said to them. “You didn’t have to. I’m going to check on Perry. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Alright,” Laura said. “Goodnight, Laf.” Carmilla just gave me a nod and then they both disappeared into Laura’s room. I took a deep breath and then braved my own room.

I entered to find the room dark. I moved to turn on the little nightlight by my bed, throwing shadows over Perry’s crumpled form. She laid on my bed in the fetal position, her knees drawn in close and the oversized t-shirt swimming around her. She looked so small in the dim light.

“Perr?” I started, bending down beside the bed to make eye contact with her. At my voice, she looked up—lifting her head the barest amount so that she could see me.

“I feel awful,” she said softly, her voice thin and tremulous. The sound, in conjunction with the sight of her huddled up like a wounded animal, made my heart hurt.

“I’m sure,” I answered, trying to sound more sympathetic than patronizing. “I can’t imagine, actually. I just wanted to come in here to see if you needed anything. Did you want some water or pajamas or a toothbrush?” The idea of Perry going to bed without at least brushing her teeth seemed like the least probable occurrence in the entire world.

After a long beat of contemplation, she said, “Pajamas sound nice.”

Without further prodding, I dug into my dresser and pulled out a pair of lounge pants and a science fair t-shirt. I laid them at the foot of the bed and said, “I’ll let you get some sleep. I’ll be on the futon in the living room if you need me.”

I turned to leave, but I stopped when Perry called after me, “Lafontaine?”

“Yes?” Some new sort of tension hung in the air and I couldn’t put my finger on what it was or why it was happening. Perry’s eyes were hooded in the half-light, her mouth drawn sadly in a long, sloping line.

“Can you stay? I mean, can you stay in here with me tonight? There’s room enough for the both of us and…”

She trailed off, as though she couldn’t bring herself to admit anything else, and I let her have her silence.

“Of course,” I answered gently. It was all I wanted to do. I just hadn’t had the guts to ask or even consider that she’d want me in the same room with her while she slept, never mind the same bed.  I gave her a small, encouraging smile. “I’ll just grab my PJs and change in the bathroom. You can change while I’m gone. I’ll be back in three minutes, don’t worry.”

“Okay,” she said, uncertainty still dominant in her tone.

I changed as quickly as I could and brushed my teeth in record time, wanting to get back to Perry. When I did, she was snuggled under the blankets and wearing my t-shirt. Once again, I was struck by how tiny and fragile she seemed. It was almost impossible to remember that she’d been a wolf only hours before.

She laid on the far side of the bed, facing away from me. Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail of sorts and the nightlight drew sharp lines on her pale face. I’d always imagined she’d look angelic as she slept, but I couldn’t say that she looked anything but terrified and harried at the moment.

I carefully climbed into bed, leaving a healthy amount of room between myself and Perry. I laid on my back, finding it impossible to relax with her so close. I felt her turn over beside me and suddenly her fingers found my arm nearest her. Her touch moved down my arm to my hand, sending a chill down my spine. I tried to hide my reaction as she took my hand in hers.

I waited up until I was sure she was asleep, little breathy sounds playing at my ear, and then I hesitantly drifted off to sleep, her hand still in mine.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In preparation for (and celebration of) the Season 3 release in a few days, here's an update on my fic! I'm sorry that I abandoned it - I've been working on an Original Novel. But now I've finished it, so I'm back to this. Please stick around, read, and comment if you wish. Thanks!

Perry stood in the middle of my lab, her arms crossed tightly and her toe tapping impatiently. Her floral shirt seemed immensely out of place within her white and silver surroundings. Her gaze darted from one thing to the next, as though silently judging everything.

“Is this going to take long?” she asked for what felt like the thousandth time.

“There’s no way to know,” I answered patiently, pulling out a box of new vials from the overhead cabinet. “It could be easy or it could take weeks.” I knew that ‘weeks’ was even optimistic, but I didn’t say it aloud. Perry had enough to worry about. I reached for the sterilized syringes as I asked, “Could you please take a seat? It’s not a good idea to be standing when you draw blood.”

“Do you have to?” Perry asked. It sounded more like a demand, but I knew it was only fear that changed her tone. I stopped my preparing to look over at her.

“I do. I’m sorry, it’s the only way to get the information I need. I’m also going to need a swab.”

“What?” Perry exclaimed, no closer to sitting than she was a moment before. “What does that even mean? Please don’t let it be anything weird.”

“It’s just a cotton swab in your mouth,” I explained. “It’s painless. Now, please, take a seat so we can get this over with.” I directed a pleading look in her direction and I suppose it worked because she gave a huff and marched over to a nearby office chair and sat down.

I gave her a smile of thanks before finishing up my preparations. I decided to take three vials of blood, just to be safe. I broke open a new needle and attached it to the syringe before attaching a vial and then bringing everything over to the table nearest Perry.

Perry stared down at the syringe and vials as I tied the thick rubber tourniquet around her upper arm.

“Are you sure you need all that?” she asked, her voice high-pitched with fear.

“I’m taking the bare minimum for my experiments, I promise,” I said. “Just try to relax.”

She stared down at the tight rubber on her arm and started to hyperventilate.

“Perr, look at me,” I said, laying a gentle hand on her arm. “Don’t look at your arm, look at me. It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay. We’re going to figure out what’s going on with you. I just need to run some tests first.”   

“I don’t feel right,” Perry said, her voice small.

“It’s okay,” I said in my most soothing voice. “Everyone gets weirded out by their own blood. It’s completely natural. Just hold in there and it’ll be over in a second. Can you make a fist for me?”

Perry’s hand clenched into a weak fist just as grey hairs sprouted on her arm.

“Oh no!” Perry shouted. “It’s happening again! Make it stop, make it stop!”

By some miracle, my logical brain kicked in for the few seconds I had to make a rash decision.  I knew Perry was about to change again and I had mere minutes to get her blood before it became an impossibility. But doing that meant taking her blood without her consent during a time of extreme stress and trauma for her. Should I hurt her now to have a shot at saving her later? The thought of hurting Perry intentionally broke my heart, but my logical brain knew that it was the right thing to do.

I stuck Perry with the needle with one hand as I pulled at the tied rubber with the other. Perry howled in my ear, a sound solidly between animal and human, and began thrashing against me as grey hair painted a new line up her neck.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I said as quickly as I could.

A moment later, Perry pulled away and fell onto the floor, leaving me with a half-filled syringe. I took a few steps away as Perry convulsed and couldn’t look away as she broke and bended into a new shape. Right before my eyes, she transformed into a wolf.

I was simultaneously mortified and unendingly intrigued. Perry the wolf gnawed at the rubber that I hadn’t managed to get off her arm and I slid the vial of her blood into my pocket.

Once she’d managed to bite off the offending rubber, she turned on me. I put out my hands in a gesture of “stay back” and “I mean you no harm,” but I had no idea if that translated the same way into wolf. I suddenly wished I’d researched wolf behavior before this moment.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” I said in a low, calm voice.

The wolf dipped low and snarled, the fur on her back standing up and her teeth flashing. I kept eye contact with the wolf, amazed by how similar its eyes were to Perry’s, as I mentally flipped through all the Worst Case Scenario shows I’d watched, searching for anything that could help me. In the end, I came up with nothing.

Perry the wolf growled at me and took a step forward. I took a slow step back and suddenly realized just how dangerous this situation had become. Not only was I face-to-face with a dangerous, wild animal who also happened to be my best friend, but that same animal was in my school’s lab and if she broke stuff, I just might get expelled.

“When did things get so out of hand?” I asked myself and the wolf.

Then, inspiration struck. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called the one person who knew how to get out of every worst case scenario.

“What’s up?” Laura picked up on the second ring.

“So, funny question,” I started, “do you happen to know what to do if you’re about to be attacked by a wolf?”

“A wolf!” Laura echoed. “Lafontaine, what have you done now?”

“I’ll explain later,” I replied. “Just tell me how to deal with a lone wolf. How do I avoid getting eaten alive?”

“Maintain eye contact, don’t turn your back on it, and make yourself intimidating. Whatever you do, don’t try to fight it or run away. You won’t win.”

“Thanks for the tip,” I answered. “Call you back in a sec.”

“Be careful!” Laura said before I could hang up. I stuck my phone back in my pocket and started to yell at the wolf as I clapped my hands.

“Hey, Perry, get out of here! Get outside! Come on, go. Go!”

The wolf cowered a bit, so I continued yelling.

“Go back outside where you belong! Go! Get out of here!”

I yelled and yelled, staring the wolf down. I tried not to think about what I was saying, about who I was talking to, but it still pulled at me. I continued until she finally cowered and slipped past me into the hallway. I followed her into the hall, opening the first door I found that led to the outdoors. I propped it open with a rock and then ran back to the lab, closing the door shut behind me.

I sat down on the lab chair in relief, realizing that it was the same chair Perry had been perched in only minutes before. I pulled the blood sample out of my pocket and put it down on the lab table, staring at the red liquid. I focused on the vial, pushing away all the encroaching feelings of frustration, loss, and helplessness. I fought against the tears in my eyes. I tried harder than I ever had to hold myself together.

I picked up the vial of Perry’s blood and raced over to my instruments. I thought that if I could drown myself in my work, I could move past all the horrible feelings that were taking up permanent residence in my chest. If I focused on my centrifuge and microscope, I wouldn’t have room in my brain to imagine Perry, alone and vulnerable and confused, out in the wild of the woods and trapped in a body that was not hers. I wouldn’t have time to count the minutes until I heard her voice again and saw her smile and held her hand. I wouldn’t have the choice to spiral down into that dark pit from which I knew I could very possibly never return.

So I held her vial of blood like a lifeline and started the tests.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave me your comments!! Kudos also appreciated :) 
> 
> P.S. I apologize in advance for any crap science that happens or has happened already. I'm not a scientist or a doctor or anything like that. So...sorry. 
> 
> (If you're a SwanQueen fan, check out my other stuff!)
> 
> (I also write for obscure fandoms, like opera and Thunderbirds.)


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